wonder what's took him so short! I wonder if he's got
wind of anything out the common!"

The latter part of Abel's words were spoken to himself, for Gaspar had
taken his knives to the grindstone in the yard and was now calling for
Kitty to turn the stone for him, while he should hold the blades
against its surface.

But it was Mercy who answered his summons, appearing in the doorway
with her sleeves rolled up, her apron floured, and her round face
aglow with haste and excitement.

"Well? well, Gaspar Keith? What you want of Kit?"

"To help me."

"Help yourself. I can't spare her."

"Then I can't grind the knives. That's all." He tossed them down to
wait her pleasure, and Mercy groaned.

"If I ain't the worst bestead woman in the world! Here's all creation
coming to be fed, an' no help but a little girl like Kit an' a grumpy
old squaw 't don't know enough to 'preciate her privileges. Hey!
Gaspar! Call Abel in to breakfast. An' after that maybe sissy can turn
the stun. Here 'tis goin' on six o'clock, if it's a minute, an' some
the folks'll be pokin' over here by seven, sure!"

Then Mercy retreated within doors and directed the Sun Maid to:

"Fly 'round right smart now an' set the house to one side. Whisk them
flapjacks over quicker 'an that, then they'll not splish-splash all
over the griddle. When I was a little girl nine years old I could fry
cakes as round as an apple. No reason why you shouldn't, too, if you
put your mind to it."

The Sun Maid laughed. No amount of fret or labor had ever yet had
power to dim the brightness of her nature. Was it the Sun Maid,
though? One had to look twice to see. For this tall, slender girl now
wore her glorious hair in a braid, and her frock was of coarse blue
homespun.

Her feet were bare, and her plump shoulders bowed a little because of
the heavy burdens which her "mother Mercy" saw fit to put upon them.

"But I guess I don't want to put my mind to it. I can't see anything
pretty in 'jacks which are to be eaten right up. Only I like to have
them taste right for the folks. That's all."

Abel and Gaspar came in, and Kitty placed a plate of steaming cakes
before them. Mercy hurried to the big churn outside the door and began
to work the dasher up and down as if she hadn't an ounce of butter in
her dairy and must needs prepare this lot for the festival. As she
churned she kept up a running fire of directions to the household
within, finally suggesting, in a burst of l